mousse

1 of 2

noun

ˈmüs 

1

: a light spongy food usually containing cream or gelatin

2

: a molded chilled dessert made with sweetened and flavored whipped cream or egg whites and gelatin

chocolate mousse

3

: a foamy preparation used in styling hair

mousse

2 of 2

verb

moussed; moussing

transitive verb

: to style (hair) with mousse

Examples of mousse in a Sentence

Noun

a jar of styling mousse

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Unlike the mousse, the air-dry cream is meant to be used in place of the leave-in instead of after. —Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026

Classic desserts include chocolate mousse cake and New York-style cheesecake. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas Morning News, 27 Jan. 2026

Meanwhile, desserts lean toward classic Portuguese—chocolate mousse with olive oil and salt, or almond‑rich toucinho do céu. —Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026

These crispy vanilla cookies are topped with a fluffy dark chocolate mousse, covered in a layer of rich, Belgian dark chocolate, and finished with a sprinkle of crunchy, roasted cocoa nibs. —Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 21 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, literally, froth, moss, from Old French mosse, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German mos moss — more at moss

First Known Use

Noun

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mousse

• coos
• cruce
• deuce
• douce
• duce
• goose
• hoose
• juice
• loose
• noose
• nous
• sluice

Kids Definition

mousse

1 of 2 noun

ˈmüs 

1

: a light whipped or molded food

especially : a cold dessert of sweetened and flavored whipped cream or egg whites and gelatin

2

: a foamy preparation used in styling hair

mousse

2 of 2 verb

moussed; moussing

: to style (hair) with mousse